General Danganronpa Drabbles and One-Shots
by RunaXandrill
Summary: Embellishments of Danganronpa 1, Danganronpa 2, and the Danganronpa 3 anime. v3 characters will not be included, and no requests will be taken (sorry, nothing personal).
1. Fun in the Sun

Not long after Hajime Hinata, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Akane Owari, Sonia Nevermind, and Kazuichi Souda all made the decision to end the Neo World Project (that had been tampered with by an AI version of Junko Enoshima) on their terms, the three suited members of the Future Foundation-Kyoko Kirigiri, Makoto Naegi, and the real Byakuya Togami-were ensuring that the place Makoto had chosen to hold the remaining members of Hope's Peak Academy Class 77 in stasis was secure. It was a fact that Makoto was eventually going to have a lot to answer for, since his orders were to capture and eliminate the Remnants of Despair.

Sensing Makoto's frustration, Kyoko silently walked over to the brunet-who was absently rubbing the back of his head with his left hand as he often did when he was either thinking or really stressed out. With a light tap upon Makoto's right shoulder, Kyoko offered, "Since you seem to be tense, maybe some fresh air and sunlight would help."

Makoto looks to his lavender-haired classmate with a smile and nods. He quietly asks, "Is it that obvious?"

Byakuya, annoyed at literally everything because that's what he does, looks over to the pair and states, "Anyone would be a fool not to notice tics and habits of their.. companions." He'd hesitated to call them friends, but he secretly meant that instead. Far be it for the Ultimate Affluent Progeny to admit to frilly emotions. Impossible.

Sensing the tall blond's annoyance, Kyoko replies, "We know that we're here for specific reasons, and that we have to go back to the Foundation by a specific time." She whips out her cell phone to confirm the time, and then offers, "By my estimation, we have almost two hours before the boat leaves.

Sighing in resignation, Byakuya tersely retorts, "The sooner we get back, the less questions that there will be. As long as you don't treat this as a summer break, I suppose a bit of leisure can be allowed. Just don't expect me to join you. I have better things to do."

Makoto, surprising Kyoko, smiles and states, "I don't think that you were invited anyway, Byakuya, but if you change your mind you're welcome to join us."

Byakuya merely huffs, then looks away as he feels his cheeks warm up. Kyoko further presses by saying, "Your demeanor clearly shows that you want to come with us. Also, the more time that you have a certain someone not knowing exactly where you are, the better."

Byakuya certainly couldn't argue with her logic, and he of course knew exactly who Kyoko was referring to-Toko Fukawa, the Ultimate Author, and her second self Genocider Syo, the Ultimate Serial Killer, both had a massive crush on the tall, lithe blond.. which peeved him to no end. Along with that crush was a burning need for Toko and Syo (whoever was present) to hang on his every word, call him "Master", and make borderline lewd suggestions about what the two Ultimates should do together (Syo was the bigger pervert of the two, though). So with that logic in mind, the self-professed "Heir to the Togami Empire" simply nodded and followed the Luckster and the Detective outside of the dimly lit building that they were in.

The day was bright and sunny, and the three had to adjust their eyes to the light difference. Once they had, they all noticed that the sky was a deep, rich shade of blue, that there were large white puffy clouds in the sky, and that the waves from the ocean crashing onto the pristine beach were within earshot. Another good thing in Makoto's reckoning was that it wasn't too hot, seeing how the three were still clad in their black suits.

Kyoko, more to herself than the other two, said, "It's really a shame that we have a limited amount of time to enjoy this.. and that we didn't bring swimming gear. It's a really beautiful day today."

Byakuya surveyed the view with a more critical eye than his partners, but he again couldn't argue with Kyoko's statement. Not to mention the fact that what they all had recently gone through during the final part of the simulation made the spectacular view even more stunning.

Makoto had also heard what she had said, and turned to her with a smile. "So.. what would you two say if I told you that I actually have our swimming gear covered?"

Kyoko turned to Makoto with a stunned look on her face, while Byakuya was equally stunned. He spat out, "How!? With the state of the islands as they are, gathering that type of provision is next to impossible."

Makoto just grinned and plainly stated, "I think you've forgotten my Ultimate talent again."

Stifling a chuckle, Kyoko puts a gloved hand over her mouth while Byakuya can only shake his head. "You and your luck. Next thing I know, you're going to tell us that you have beach towels."

Makoto, still grinning, replies, "Actually... "

Byakyua cuts the luckster off with a rare smirk and replies, "You know what? I don't want to know. We're wasting time talking."

Kyoko, with a rare smile, nods her head in Byakuya's direction. "Come on, you two. Let's go have a little fun in the sun."

 **A/N: In my opinion, Danganronpa 2 showed a lot more of the camaraderie between the members of Class 77 than Danganronpa 1 did with the surviving members of Class 78, so sometimes I like to inject a little more humanity into characters that were originally presented as stoic.**


	2. An Unlikely Meeting

"Is it really okay to believe her so easily? She might be faking those tears, you know!"

This statement played in Hiyoko Saionji's head over and over again, so much so that she temporarily abandoned the task she felt that she had to finish before Monokuma's morning announcement to step out of her cottage for some late night fresh air. Sure, this wasn't the smartest thing to do but she was still reeling from the senseless murder of the one person on the island who truly cared about her and looked out for her. Hiyoko slumped into a chair by the pool, silent and real tears falling from her eyes as she pondered how she would continue on without Mahiru Koizumi, the person who became one of her best friends before being brutally murdered by one of their classmates.

As Hiyoko was lost in her thoughts another of the island's residents skulked around the grounds near the hotel and cottages, sensing once again the unease in the universe after two of the former residents of the island were now dead and had joined the afterlife with Byakuya Togami and Teruteru Hanamura. The skulker felt his scarf rustle, four little heads eventually popping out after noticing their master's unease. His voice low and quiet, he whispered (as low as it got for him, honestly, which was louder than most), "The ill wind that blows through this mortal world is not the work of the Demon Lord himself. It is merely the pallor and somnolence that follows death. Nothing more." The owners of those four heads, sometimes called The Four Dark Devas of Destruction (mostly by their owner), nestled back into the scarf as the man walked towards the pool area.

Hiyoko had heard Gundam Tanaka speaking from where she sat. Startled at first to hear someone else outside after midnight, she rolled her eyes once she knew who it was. Inertia and a deep sense of tiredness had caused her not to move from where she was seated, however. She did, however, shift her position to keep her eyes focused on the reflection of the starry night sky from the surface of the pool.

Though Gundam's feet were clad in heavy boots, Hiyoko wouldn't have heard him walk towards her had he not reassured the Devas of the vibrational state of the universe as it was on this dark night. She made no move to turn to him as he sat fairly close to, but not immediately next to her so as to give her some space. The only thing he verbally offered was, "One should not be out alone among the dark portents this night has brought forth."

Hiyoko sighed and replied more curtly than she intended, "Do you ever make sense, or is the shit you babble about just so you can hear yourself talk?"

Gundam merely responded with a solemn, "No, you would not be out here had you not sensed the darkness as well," as the Devas popped out of his scarf and onto his shoulders.

Not used to him actually making sense for more than a minute at a time, Hiyoko merely asked, "Well, why are YOU out roaming around then, huh?"

As the largest of the Devas, "Invading Black Dragon" Cham-P seemed to take an interest in the conversation between the two while perched on Gundam's right shoulder, Gundam replied, "It is a curse of being the Overlord of Ice that.. what you call sleep often fails to take me within its grasp."

Hiyoko couldn't argue or retort about not being able to sleep, especially not after the emotionally intense discovery, investigation, trial, and then execution mere hours before this meeting was taking place. She could only lamely offer, "Yeah.. I.. couldn't sleep either.. not after everything."

Gundham merely nodded as Cham-P decided to go on a little investigation of his own. He deftly hopped from Gundham's shoulder to the table closest to Hiyoko, sniffing as he went. Hiyoko had absently placed her left arm and hand on that table, and she eventually felt little huffs of air on her fingers. "Wha... what was that?"

Well used to The Devas' behaviors, Gundham merely chuckled and replied, "Cham-P sensed your unease with this befouled night and was merely curious."

"Well.. he doesn't bite or anything, right?"

"Not unless something truly foul provokes him to have that response." While they spoke, and true to Gundham's word, Cham-P decided that Hiyoko passed the sniff test and decided to rest against her left hand. "Ah.. see? Cham-P recognizes the true turmoil in your being."

This being the first time Hiyoko didn't have the urge to scream, flail, cry, or whine, she allowed the plump orange hamster to rest against her. She found it oddly comforting, even though she never had animals of any kind while she lived with her grandmother.. and had needlessly tormented smaller animals herself. Feeling the warmth of the hamster against her hand, she felt a small twinge of remorse for that as she stated, "I.. wasn't allowed to have animals once I lived with my grandmother. You're sure he won't go all crazy or anything?"

Gundham chuckled a bit louder. "The Devas do not harm where they sense none."

"So.. why did you decide to sit with me?" Up to this point, besides Mahiru, the only other person in the group who showed her true kindness was Hajime.

Gundam pursed his lips and somberly replied, "You were not the only one who felt the encumbrance and burden of unwanted solitude on this night." As if to echo his master's words, Cham-P gave Hiyoko's hand a soft nudge before he scampered back to his master's scarf.

He continued, "I shall not keep you any further. Find strength from the pit of your solace." With a flourish, Gundham then bolted up to continue his self-imposed sentry duty.

Hiyoko absently rubbed her left hand before getting up to go back to her cottage. "What a weirdo," she muttered to herself.


	3. One End, Another Beginning

Towards the end of the trial to determine who murdered the robotic man who once was Nekomaru Nidai (dubbed "Mechamaru" by Chiaki Nanami), Hajime Hinata went over all of the final details of the case to fully prove who the blackened killer was. In a clear voice, Hajime presented all of the evidence that he and his classmates had scoured over during their investigation, and said evidence was either rebutted or agreed with during the trial itself. In a clear and confident (he hoped) voice, Hajime made his final presentation.

"Let's start by going over the many tricks the killer prepared before they committed the crime. First, the killer destroyed the contact elevator. This separated Nagito and the others in Strawberry House from the group who was in Grape House. Next, they lured Nekomaru out by himself by turning back all of the clocks in the Funhouse by two hours. Additionally, in order to secure an alibi, the killer went to the Strawberry House lounge and set the wall clock's alarm to 5:30am. After finishing their preparations, the killer then went to Strawberry Tower with the necessary tools in hand. They obtained these tools from the Octagon, which can be entered once you clear the Final Dead Room. What this means is that the killer discovered the secret of the Funhouse faster than anybody else. That secret was that Strawberry House and Grape House are actually the same building.

"On the morning of the incident, Nekomaru woke up and headed over to Grape Tower for a specific reason. There, Hiyoko, who was at the lounge by coincidence, witnessed Nekomaru. According to Hiyoko's testimony, that was around 5:00am but by that point, the killer had already messed with our perception of time. In actuality, Hiyoko witnessed Nekomaru at 7:00am. That's also the same time that Monokuma Tai Chi begins, and Nekomaru was heading to Grape Tower to participate in that.

"However, because the contact elevator was broken, Nekomaru was unable to go to Grape Tower, so he decided to try going to Strawberry Tower. The killer was already waiting for Nekomaru at Strawberry Tower. With the power of hamsters, the Good Night button on the back of Nekomaru's neck was able to be pressed. This forced Nekomaru to enter sleep mode, which rendered him immobile. From there, the killer began preparing to use the Ultimate Weapon.

"First, they set the alarm in Nekomaru's chest to 7:30am so that he would wake up. Then they tied Nekomaru up with a metal wire, tied the tip of the wire into a loop, and hung it on the doorknob.

"After leaving Strawberry Tower, the killer then destroyed the button to Strawberry Hall. This was done to prevent us from entering Strawberry Tower and to keep us from discovering the secret of the building structure, which was used to kill Nekomaru. Then, they used the secret Octagon passageway to travel to Grape House. After arriving at Grape Hall, they pressed the button to open the door to the tower. When that happened, the elevator-like floor of the tower began descending. Nekomaru's body was still inside, dangling upside-down in mid-air from the wire. The killer entered Grape Tower to see if their set up was successful, then placed a hammer on the floor to look like the murder weapon, and then wrapped a chain around the back door. This was done to make us believe, falsely, that we couldn't enter the tower from Strawberry Hall.

"With this, the killer had finished their set up and tried to go back to their room using the secret passage so that they could craft their alibi when Nekomaru died from the fall. But something unexpected happened. Hiyoko, who saw Nekomaru earlier, was still at the lounge. As a result, the killer couldn't return to their room, and with no options available, time ran out. The lounge's alarm clock started ringing at 5:30.. well, actually 7:30. To avoid a worst case scenario, the killer was forced to appear in front of Hiyoko with the others. When the wall clock's alarm rang, that was also the same time that Nekomaru was waking up. He woke up while he was still upside-down, so he couldn't help but sway his body powerfully. Originally, the loop of wire was only supposed to slip off of the doorknob. But because there was a heavier load than expected, the doorknob ended up breaking. Nekomaru ended up falling from the 4th floor all the way to the 1st floor.

"He crashed into the pillar, which decapitated him on impact, thus causing his immediate death. The sound of Nekomaru's impact echoed throughout the Funhouse. However, by this point, the killer's plan was about to fail thanks to the broken doorknob.. and Hiyoko. This meant that the killer was someone who wouldn't have heard the alarm if they were in their Deluxe Room. They also wouldn't have been able to return to their room because Hiyoko was at the lounge. That someone.. is Gundham Tanaka. I can't think of anyone else but you."

After Hajime finished his closing argument, and before Gundham could say anything, Hiyoko went off. She'd been quieter since they all had been in the Funhouse and due to the fact that they'd also had nothing to eat or drink since before they were lured inside by Monokuma, but now she just couldn't hold her thoughts.

"It's just so typical that a selfish bastard like you could think that you could get away with murder just to let us all die!" As she pointed in Gundham's direction, her voice echoed from the gaudy trial room walls as she shouted, "Nekomaru did NOTHING to deserve being murdered! You deserve to roast in hell for what you've done!"

In a softer tone than she normally used, and with heavy emotion in her voice, Akane Owari simply and softly stated, "Hiyoko.. stop.. please, just stop.. we all know that Coach Nekomaru didn't deserve this.. "

Her voice trailed off as Gundham looked to Hajime appreciatively and stated, "Splendid.. for a mere human, you did quite well."

It was Akane's turn to shout as she looked to Gundham. "If you continue to use weird words to bury or hide the truth.. I'll friggin' kill you myself!"

Sonia Nevermind, in a stunned tone, then asked, "You.. did you really.. kill Nekomaru, Gundham? I cannot.. I will not.. believe something like that!"

Gundham merely looked stoically to the group and stated, "Finish it. Cast your impure votes for Gundham Tanaka."

Once the votes were cast, Monokuma confirmed that the voting was correct and accurate. "Getting four votes in a row right is SUCH an awesome achievement! The blackened, who killed Nekomaru at the amaa-a-aaa-azing Funhouse, was indeed Gundham Tanaka!"

Nagito Komaeda, seeming to be bored, stated, "All right, we know who did it. Let's just get this execution over with."

Hiyoko, her cheeks now reddened from anger, replied, "Yes. Let's see him die like the dirty, foul person that he is!"

Stunned, Hajime shouted, "No! Hold on! While it's true that the trial is finished and that the blackened has been decided, it doesn't mean that everything is wrapped up into a neat, nice bow. There's no way that we can finish this without hearing anything else that Gundham may have to say!"

Nagito lamely retorted, "It's not like it'll matter anyway, but trash like me has no right to stop you true Ultimates so.. do whatever you choose."

Gundham's inner confusion only showed through his voice. "I don't know why you would desire to talk to someone who's lost. The loser just leaves.. it wouldn't be helpful or necessary for me to elaborate further." He took a short breath and continued in his normal voice. "That is what I would like to say, but for the sake of the honor of Gundham Tanaka, I am required to correct one thing!"

Everyone in the trial room was stunned, except for Nagito who was bored, and Hiyoko who was impatient and pretty ticked off by this point.

Gundham continued, "You mortals stated that I caused Nekomaru to become powerless without a fight. That, however, is not only not true.. it is a grievous mistake."

Hajime could only blurt out, "Huh?"

Gundham nodded once in Hajime's direction and proceeded with his explanation. "Nekomaru did fight, that is absolutely no mistake.. and because he fought, he lost.. and died."

Akane chimed in, "How the hell did Coach LOSE!? He couldn't just LOSE!"

Gundham further explained, "If Nekomaru attempted to cling to his precious life, he could have accomplished that task in many ways. But, that was something that he did not allow to happen."

With Akane now becoming angrier, she spat out, "You had best start to explain what you mean by that. Now."

Gundham merely laughed as he said, "All will be revealed." He gathered his breath and stated, "It was true that I had successfully navigated the Final Dead Room, thus discovering the true secret of the Funhouse. This served to assist with me devising the plan as Hajime Hinata has just explained before your impure votes were cast. The plan did have a difference than the explanation that has already been offered. I did lure Nekomaru to Strawberry Tower.. and what happened is that we both were alone, face-to-face, having a merely average staredown after he'd assessed the situation. It would have been more than simple enough had he wanted to turn and walk away.. however, he not once turned his back to me. He instead chose a battle of life or death."

Sonia nervously asked, "Life.. or death?"

Gundham nodded. "Yes, and Nekomaru was of the utmost seriousness towards the terms of the battle. He gave it all that he could, to try and kill me. Let me just say that if I had been the one to perish, the mystery would have been even more complex. My motive for going to the tower alone would never have been discovered had I fallen victim in our battle. None of you would have clearly known that I, Gundham Tanaka, had planned everything down to the last detail."

For clarification's sake, Chiaki Nanami asked, "So.. Mechamaru.. really did that?"

Gundham again nodded. "Yes. The atmosphere in the tower was rife with tension, which Nekomaru noticed immediately as he commented upon it. He'd asked for confirmation if I was intent on killing him, to which I replied that I, the warlock, did indeed have that murderous intent. Nekomaru merely laughed as he said that I would.. drench myself in evil until the bitter end. In kind, he retorted that he would kill me with all of his might in response to the blackness of that spirit I carry within. We then agreed to not hold anything back, and I stated that his blood would drench the entirety of my empire."

Crying softly, Sonia asked, "But.. why? Why even fight? We are all friends! Why did you not stop this? It was wrong, regardless if both sides agreed or not!"

Gundham looked to Sonia with a kinder eye than he did to his other classmates. "I will not bandy about in argument, as I do not wish to force my values upon you, or anyone else in this room. But I must ask you all one important question. What is the point of living if you are just merely waiting until you finally die? There is no courage to that mindset! That is tantamount to abandonment of your spirit and soul, merely resigning yourself to eventual death."

Hajime then recalled something that Kazuichi Souda said once they'd entered and had gotten trapped in the Funhouse by Monokuma. ' _Wait! Are you seriously telling us to just WAIT until we all starve to death!?'_

Hajime had lamely responded with, _'I'd rather.. have that happen to us.. than to have our friends.. kill each other.'_

At that time, Nagito had incredulously asked, _"You.. you mean that you would rather die!?'_

Hajime was pulled from his somber reverie by Gundham continuing to offer his explanation. "Ever since we all were trapped and locked inside of that.. chamber of horrors, everyone had that.. aura of abandonment. But nothing sacred is ever born from resignation. It is.. merely a reason to tell yourself to give in and give up. Giving up on your precious lives.. THAT IS AN INSULT TO LIFE ITSELF!"

As the conversation between everyone went back and forth, Hiyoko's breath softly hitched as she felt a mental tug courtesy of a memory during the second class trial, when Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu told everyone Mahiru Koizumi's last words. _'Nobody has the right to judge others for their crimes!'_ Imagining Mahiru saying that with the conviction that Hiyoko remembered that Mahiru had, her prior anger and judgment of Gundham began to slowly soften. _'Mahiru.. was right,'_ Hiyoko thought. _'Gundham.. never showed true malice towards anyone, even that idiot Kazuichi.. and me.'_ As she processed her inner thoughts, Hiyoko felt the sting of silent tears in her eyes.

Gundham continued, "Have you mortals ever heard of the term dog-eat-dog?"

Chiaki thought for a moment, then asked, "Wait, do you mean cannibalism?"

Gundham again continued, "Cannibalism is a very common observation in zoology, and many creatures in their life span will, at some point, engage in cannibalism. THAT.. is what it means to live. If any of you say that killing for the sake of living is evil, then what would you then call giving up on life itself? If any world considered that as some form of justice, then I will fight that world with EVERY last fiber of my very being! Giving up on life to choose death.. that is blasphemy to the sacred thing that is life. It is a violation of the natural order! It is merely the arrogance of humanity!"

With anger still in her voice, Akane growled, "Are you just sayin' all of that to justify what you did to Coach Nekomaru?"

This time, it was Nagito who responded. "No, Akane, I don't think so. It sounds to me like Nekomaru felt the same way.. and that's why the fight to the death happened."

Akane merely huffed while Gundham replied, "That man.. had the courage to die when he needed to die. THAT.. is why he challenged me to our battle. But as I have already stated.. I will not force my ideals and values upon you mortals. I have ultimately betrayed all of you. That.. that is is the truth. The absolute truth. But.. even so.. is that not a better alternative than slowly starving to death here?"

With understanding in her face and demeanor, Chiaki replied, "Oh.. that belief.. that's why you committed your crime. But hey.. the Final Dead Room.. did you do the Russian Roulette too?"

Gundham replied, "Unlike Nagito, I did only do that once but.. that was child's play compared to my battle with Nekomaru."

Chiaki thought a moment before stating, "You know, after listening to you talk for a while, I'm honestly starting to think that... well, you did also admit your crime without a lot of resistance.. "

Hajime interjected and asked, "Gundham. Don't tell me that.. you didn't.. sacrifice yourself for our sake.. did you?"

Gundham merely chuckled as he usually did and replied, "Hajime Hinata.. I cannot believe that you would ask such a foolish question. Just who do you think that I am!? I.. am GUNDHAM TANAKA, history's greatest monster! My cursed existence is feared by the entirety of mankind! There is NO way that I would sacrifice myself for the sake of you foolish mortals! Nay, not in a million.. not in a billion.. not in ten thousand billion YEARS! In the name of Pandaemonium, that feat would be impossible!"

Hajime shrugged and sadly replied, "That's it, then? I suppose.. I'll just leave it at that."

Gundham chuckled once more and loudly proclaimed, "Let us be shed of this foolish discourse! It is time! Let the fun be brought forth to commence! MONOKUMA! LET US PROCEED!"

Monokuma slightly yawned, then replied, "It's about time. Yoooou got it! I have prepared a very special punishment for the Ultimate Breeder, Gundham Tanaka!"

Crying even harder, Sonia exclaimed, "No, p-please wait! This.. is too much! Please! Monokuma! Please, you must help Gundham!" Seeing Sonia crying officially broke Hiyoko's dam, her tears not the childish fake ones that she would use just to get her own way. They were silent, but they stained her cheeks nonetheless.

Confused yet concerned, Kazuichi Souda asked, "Miss Sonia?"

Not hearing Kazuichi, Sonia again exclaimed, "Please! I beg of you!"

Seeing the state that Sonia was in, Gundham tenderly stated, "Sonia.. an act as unrefined as stopping a man from going to his death.. does not befit a refined noble such as yourself."

Sonia tearfully replied, "B-but.. Gundham!"

Eyeing the situation, Monokuma asked, "Hey, um.. it's fine to start for reals, right?"

Turning to face the half-black, half-white bear, Gundham replied, "Yes, it is fine. I do not mind. However.. "

As he paused, four little heads and bodies popped out of Gundham's purple scarf and perched on his shoulders. He asked quietly, "What is it, my Four Dark Devas of Destruction?" The four climbed into both of his outstretched hands and he bent his face down to them as he asked, "Oh, are you worried about me? My most feared Devas, this is most unlike you. However.. there is no need to fear. I am merely a temporary visitor to this world. I was simply visiting for a fragment of time.. and now that my duty is complete, I must return to the darkness. That, my Devas, is why.. until the very end.. pride! Conceit! Courage! Insolence! Fearful of nothing! Daunted by nothing! LET US LAUGH UPROARIOUSLY! THAT is Gundham Tanaka! I shall abide by my evil until the very end! Open to me, Pandaemonium! I shall fill hell with TRUE hell!"

As Gundham ended with raucous laughter, Monokuma made his usual statement. "Let's give it EVERYTHING we've got! It's.. PUNISHMENT TIIIIIME!"

Gundham and the Devas moved to the field where he was to be punished for his crime. Before he faced his execution with pride and honor, he carefully placed the Devas on a high sand dune away from the field. He then strode to the execution field, and then he created a protective magic circle around himself.

Meanwhile, in the trial room, Sonia and Hiyoko both were crying while holding on to each other. Hiyoko could barely speak, but to no one in particular she said, "I-I'm.. so... sorry.. p-please.. forgive.. me.. "

Nagito just sighed aloud, while Chiaki immediately went over to them and gently pulled the both of them into her arms. Hajime, Kazuichi, and Akane then followed suit. They all felt the weight of sadness on their hearts, and the meaning of the sacrifice that Nekomaru and Gundham had made for all of them to survive.. and to leave the hell that was Jabberwock Island and the Killing Game.

* * *

 **A/N: Most of the dialogue for this fic is either lifted directly from Danganronpa 2, or edited for clarity. This was an idea given to me on another fan fiction site where, in DR2 AU, Fuyuhiko dies and Hiyoko lives. Basically, more character development that should have happened for Hiyoko since her murder in the game wasn't actually supposed to happen. I'll be honest here when I say that I almost cried several times while adapting this all out. Trial 4 was really heartbreaking, especially since Gundham became one of my favorite characters from DR2.**


	4. Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold

The young man with long black hair and red eyes who was dressed in a black suit had his attention caught by someone who, by all rights, should have been dead already.

 _How is she still breathing, and why does that question not bore me?_

 _ **Oh god.. no.. Chiaki.. no..**_

His slow, methodical walk to the final arena seemed to take no time at all. He did, after all, have a break in his boredom, which quickly got his attention. What also got his attention was her left eyelid fluttering, then opening as she slowly and weakly looked up to him.

"H.. Hajime.. you're.. Hajime Hinata.. right?"

 _Who?_

 _ **It IS me, Chiaki, I'm right here! I'm.. grr.. I'm trapped!**_

"Is that who I was before?"

"I.. I knew it. So.. you don't.. remember, do you? You.. can't remember.. anymore?"

 _Why is this so important to her?_

 _ **Because I disappeared to become YOU, asshole.**_

"It's impossible. My past memories were completely erased."

"No.. anything.. ANYTHING.. is possible. For you.. " She trailed off as she struggled to move her severely injured body to where she could look him in his eyes.

 _Impossible. How is she still able to move?_

 _ **It's.. her hope. She's always had hope..**_

"Come on. If.. if you only try.. things will.. work out.. somehow." She was starting to struggle to stay upright, the injuries to her body too severe for much more life. They both knew this. Yet, somehow, she was able to get on her hands and knees but not without moans of what could only be sheer agony, both physical and emotional. She tried to slowly crawl closer to him, but only succeeded in falling back onto her stomach once more, her breathing becoming heavier. "I'm... done for. I.. I won't be.. I won't be able to.. help you. I.. I'm.. sorry."

 _What could she possibly have to be sorry FOR, and.. why the hell am I interested in hearing what she has to say?_

 _ **Chiaki! NO! Please, NO! Don't leave me, I'm sorry too! I'm sorry I abandoned you, and I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you said that talent was meaningless. Please, Chiaki.. please, don't.. die.. please..**_

"Even in your severely wounded and mortal state, you would still try to help and protect someone?"

"Of.. of course I would! Because.. my classmates.. I love all.. of my classmates. No.. no, I don't.. want to die!"

As she struggled to keep her head tilted up, the suited man could see her tears.. and her pain.

 _Love? Is that even possible anymore?_

 _ **Chiaki.. I don't want you to die either! Goddamnit, how can I get through to you how important she really is to me!?**_

"I.. I still have.. things I want to do. I wanted.. I wanted to.. remain classmates with everyone! One.. one more time.. I wanted.. to play.. video games with you.. at the fountain.. "

 _Play.. games? Ultimate.. Gamer..._

 _ **You son of a bitch. You and that.. strumpet.. you'll both pay for this.. I'll make sure of it. Chiaki.. don't.. go..**_

It was too late. Her wounds were too severe, and she used what little strength she had left to make the suited man understand how she felt. As her head gently dropped to the floor, her hair pin fell out of her light pink hair.

 _ **I'm going to MAKE you pick that up. She deserved much more than a useless death like this. Oh god.. Chiaki.. you're.. really.. gone..**_

Without a second thought, the suited man bent to pick up the hair pin, his fingers now lightly coated with the young woman's blood.

 _ **It's about time you felt SOMETHING other than boredom, you bastard.**_

As the long-haired man looked at the hair pin, he felt tears streaming out of his eyes and down his cheeks.

 _Why? Why do I cry for her? She was.. nothing to me mere moments ago.. yet I'm crying like a baby. Why?_

 _ **That's because of ME. She didn't have to die, but she did. All to serve HER purpose.**_

 _Am I.. hearing things?_

 _ **No. You STOLE my body and mind, remember? But they didn't wipe all of me out. That means we still have a chance.**_

 _A chance? For what purpose?_

 _ **Revenge. Against HER. Chiaki Nanami didn't deserve this. If I have to force you to remember, I will.**_

 _I'm going to assume that by "her" you mean Enoshima. Her plans.. bore me. I just used her to escape. So how far have you thought through this plan of yours?_

 _ **That depends on you. Instead of a flash fire, this might call for a slow burn. WE need to do this, though. You know it, and so do I. We may not be able to stop her rampage but.. the plan could eventually lead to her demise.**_

 _I am.. intrigued. Do go on._

 **Eight Months Later**

 _ **We have what we need to take her down. We might as well set the plan in motion.**_

 _We may not have to. We're all being hunted already, and for good reason. Once we're captured, which is now a WHEN and not an IF, the plan will be activated._

 _ **I hate what they've become.**_

 _It won't be much longer._

* * *

 **A/N: The timing might not be perfect, but this leads back to the Danganronpa 3 anime and up to Ultra Despair Girls. This was so unbelievably hard to write.  
**


	5. A Rose By Any Other Name

While running through and completing various tasks in her office, papers and files strewn about her desk and the floor, Kyoko Kirigiri stopped suddenly to grasp her coffee mug. Finding it empty of its prior contents, she then stretched and looked at the clock on her desk (which was miraculously uncovered) and gasped as she noticed the time. Seeing that it was after midnight, she then remembered that Makoto Naegi had come into her office a few hours ago to help her but then he curled up on the futon in her office when it was around 23:30. Her rustling noises having put him into a deep sleep, she smiled to his resting form, stretched again, then sat back down in her high-backed desk chair and leaned back as she closed her eyes for a brief moment. This was her undoing, as the act of closing her eyes caused her to fall into as deep a sleep as Makoto was also in.

Letting her mind relax and take itself where it would, she relaxed into a deeper sleep and began to see random blurry shapes, colors, and locations. Everything started to clear a little more and she noticed that she was in the library of the old Hope's Peak Academy. She looked down to see that she was indeed in the customary Academy uniform of medium brown, her dark purple gloves turning pages of a large compilation and translation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories and novelizations of Detective Sherlock Holmes. She remembered reading some of Doyle's short stories as a child growing up in her grandfather's care, but she had never been able to read all of the stories of Detective Holmes, Doctor Watson, and Professor Moriarty.

As Kyoko paid rapt attention to the large tome, she didn't notice another person quietly enter into the library or hear the soft sounds of 8-bit music coming from a handheld game system. The Ultimate Detective then heard the soft 8-bit music and looked up to see a short young lady also wearing a Hope's Peak Academy uniform, her brown uniform jacket being worn over a cream-colored hoodie. Kyoko also noticed the other girl's short, slightly curled light pink hair and what looked to be an 8-bit hairpin in her hair, and the other girl's pale pink eyes focused on the Ultimate Detective. Kyoko smirked slightly but didn't speak. The other young lady turned off her handheld game system and placed it in the pocket of her hoodie, then pulled the hood over her hair to reveal that the hoodie had slight cat ears.

Kyoko then relented, pulled out the chair to the left of her, and said, "Hello, Chiaki-senpai. It's not often that I see you here in the library." Kyoko then gently patted the seat of the chair, inviting Chiaki Nanami to have a seat if the Ultimate Gamer wished to sit.

Chiaki reluctantly sat as she turned a bit to face Kyoko. The hood of her hoodie was still on her head as she asked Kyoko, "Kirigiri-san? Um.. I know that you're.. the Ultimate Detective and I was wondering if.. " Chiaki then trailed off, pulling the hood of her hoodie tighter around her face.

Kyoko didn't want to startle the obviously distressed Chiaki, so Kyoko quietly asked, "Chiaki, what's wrong? Is everything all right?"

Chiaki seemed embarrassed at first, then she pulled the hood of her hoodie off of her head as she asked, "How much do you know about.. the Reserve Course?"

Kyoko then turned to face Chiaki and softly stated, "I know of it, and I suspect more than I should have a right to. Why do you ask?"

Chiaki then blushed and smiled wistfully before the smile disappeared, then just as softly replied, "I.. have a friend in the Reserve Course who I haven't seen in a few days and.. " Chiaki trailed off again, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink.

Kyoko then gently patted Chiaki's shoulder and replied, "This is about that guy you told me about, isn't it? Hajime Hinata, right?"

Chiaki gulped, then just nodded as tears started to stain her eyes slightly. Her voice dropped to almost a whisper as she confided, "Kyoko-chan.. he promised to meet me at the fountain a few days ago and I haven't seen him since then. I'm.. really worried.. " Chiaki's tears rolled down her cheeks at this point, her nervousness increasing as she finally started to verbalize her worst fears.

Kyoko said nothing at first, thinking through things before she asked, "Chiaki-chan? Had he ever not met you there before this?" All Chiaki could do at this point was to shake her head as she sniffled softly.

Kyoko then gently rubbed her friend's shoulder. "I don't know how much I can find out, but you're just wanting to make sure that he's all right, right?"

Chiaki nodded, gently dabbing at her eyes with the sleeves of her hoodie. "Kyoko-chan.. I'm so scared that.. he hasn't come back because.. he doesn't like me."

Kyoko then looked directly to her friend and softly but sternly stated, "Chiaki? Please look at me." The Ultimate Gamer complied, more tears rolling down her cheeks. Kyoko continued, "Chiaki, from what you've told me about Hajime.. I assume, and I'm sure you've made the same assumption, that he does indeed like you. Am I correct?" Chiaki sniffled and nodded. Kyoko smiled gently to Chiaki as she replied, "Then my preliminary deduction is that he wouldn't abandon you on purpose and.. I'm so sorry that you're letting your mind think the worst here."

Chiaki suddenly stopped crying, then broke into a slight smile as she replied, "Kyoko-chan, you'd be just as concerned about Makoto-kun if something like this happened to him." Kyoko then blushed a deep shade of pink as Chiaki continued. "But, I understand why you're telling me what you're telling me. I know you'll try to help as much as you can, and.. I really appreciate that you're willing to help ease my fears."

Out of the blue, Chiaki impulsively hugged Kyoko, and a stunned but pleased Kyoko hugged Chiaki back as she replied, "Chiaki, you're one of my best friends. Of course I'd do anything in my power to help you. Even if it's only just listening to you."

Chiaki then pulled away and smiled as she wiped her tears away. "Thank you, Kyoko. I'm.. I'm glad I found you tonight."

Kyoko smiled fondly as she echoed the sentiment. "I'm glad you found me, too. Some nights, I'm not easy to find."

Chiaki chuckled softly as she stood up and moved to leave the library. She pulled her Game Girl Advance out of the pocket of her hoodie and moved to leave the library. The pinkette then stopped suddenly, turned around, and smirked as she plainly stated, "Orchids and sakura blossoms. You know what I'm referring to. Go to him and let him know your decision." Chiaki smiled enigmatically as she walked out of the library.

Kyoko awakened quite suddenly from her dream, gasping aloud. Makoto grumbled softly, then yawned and sleepily asked, "Kyoko? Are you okay?"

Kyoko looked at her hands and saw that they were shaking slightly. She quickly moved both of her hands in a flapping motion to stop the shaking before she walked over to a still sleepy Makoto. She laid down next to him and quietly stated, "I'm.. okay. I fell asleep in my chair and had a dream I wasn't expecting to have at all."

Makoto turned to nuzzle himself closer to Kyoko as he asked, "What was it about?"

Kyoko also scooted closer to Makoto and replied, "Well, long story short.. I dreamed of Chiaki and I in the Hope's Peak Academy library. After Hajime disappeared."

Makoto, a little more awake, sat up and gave Kyoko's chin a soft peck. He then gently said, "Kyoko.. I know how much you miss her. I remember how distraught you were when she disappeared." He moved close enough to give her a warm hug, his hands gently rubbing her back as he embraced her.

Kyoko returned the embrace, thick emotion in her voice as she whispered, "I do miss her.. so much.. "

Makoto squeezed Kyoko tighter, merely whispering, 'Sshhh.. I know.. " as he gently ran his hands up and down her back. Kyoko's response was to bury her head into Makoto's shoulder, giving herself a moment to quietly mourn one of her best friends. All the while, Makoto was softly murmuring to her, "I know.. I'm here for you. Always."

Kyoko sniffled against Makoto, then lifted her head to look up to him. "I.. I don't know what I would do without you, Makoto."

Makoto smiled and gave Kyoko another soft kiss, this one on her lips. He then whispered to her, "You won't have to worry about that for a very long time, and also.. " He pointed to the engagement ring that he had a jeweler make to fit her gloved left ring finger as he continued, "We'll be together, too. Best husband and wife team the world has ever seen."

Kyoko chuckled as she wiped her eyes, Makoto moving in closer to quickly kiss her once more. She blushed and replied, "There was one really good thing about the dream, though. Well, two, actually."

Makoto asked, "Oh? Do you mind telling me what they were?"

Kyoko smiled as she responded, "Well the first thing is pretty obvious. I got to see Chiaki again."

Makoto hugged Kyoko close as he asked, "And the second thing?"

Kyoko blushed a deeper pink as she softly stated, "She helped me make the decision on the flowers I want for our wedding. Orchids and sakura blossoms. You and she have that in common, you know. You both know the answers that sometimes can stare me right in the face without me knowing."

They both smiled as they moved closer to each other for yet another kiss, this one lingering and passionate. Makoto pulled back, smiled, and simply stated, "I love you.. so very much."

Kyoko blushed a deep pink as she softly whispered, "She knew we loved each other before we did, you know."

Makoto nodded, pulling Kyoko to rest against his chest as he sat up a little more. "I remember. The whole rest of our class knew it too."

Kyoko sighed, looking up to meet Makoto's green eyes as she said, "I'm just happy that she was able to help me decide. I've been wracking my brain for about two weeks now. I'm just glad she didn't say roses."

They both laughed and smiled to each other, then Makoto replied, "But a rose by any other name would never be as sweet as you."

Kyoko's response was to move herself closer to her fiancee for more kisses, hugs, and snuggles before they both fell back into a deep sleep, holding hands as they rested.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi, I'm back! I've had this idea running around in my head for the past few days and thought that I'd get it on "paper" before it fell into the aether. It's always been part of my head canon that Kyoko and Chiaki at the very least knew each other in passing, but my head canon has them as close friends. This one-shot is also sort of tangentially related to the DR Scenes fic, which really needs to have more added to it now that I have some good, calm background music to play while I type things up. It REALLY helps.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy this one (especially since Naegiri fluff lol), and apologies for the long absence.**


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